Question of the Week: 12 - 10/23/2000Pagan Choice for the y2k US ElectionThis week's Pagan Perspective question is a redux of one that we asked about at the beginning of August... And we apologize in advance to our non-United States readers that we have again brought up an issue that is rather exclusive to just one country, but feel free to comment on the shenanigans of the American political system as you see it.) Which political platform or candidate are you leaning towards? Have you made up your mind or changed your mind? Will you vote and who-if you don't mind telling the world-are you planning to vote for? Why have you made this particular choice?

I, like all the other idealists in this country, would love to see Ralph Nader as President... however, since that's obviously not going to happen and I don't want Bush to win (I don't like his foreign policy, or for that matter, his domestic one), I'm going to vote for Al Gore. He has some diplomatic skills and a sincere wish to stay on good terms with China and the Middle East, and that's the very least that I want in a President.

I have heard a lot of pagans talk of putting forthan organized front against Bush. They say he is determined to turn this back into a Christian country. I say they are wrong. It is true that Bush is a devoted Christian and is quite pro-life, but besides that has remained quite vague. Gore has not even touched the issue at all in any form. Once again the citizens of the U.S.A. must choose the lesser evil. This is how I see it. We have two candidates both are uncertain in their choices on religious views. Since such is the case I believe we should vote for the candidate who will infringe on our rights less, so that if our freedom is challenged, we will be in a better place to fight for it. Blessed Be.

Voting My Conscience Is Something I Have Done For The Past 20...

Oct 25th. at 10:01:30 pm EDT

Candleberry (North Pole, Alaska US)

Age: 50

Voting my conscience is something I have done for the past 20-some years. I'm a Libertarian and that is the way I voted. But I did so knowing that I had to accept whichever candidate won--in the past that was acceptable. This year I am voting for Gore not Browne (though I would prefer Browne as president). I am still voting my conscience! My conscience tells me that I can't stand the thought that I didn't do everything in my power to make sure that Bush does not get elected President.

I think everyone should vote their conscience but those voting for Nader, Browne, or whoever had better be able to live with the fact that they didn't do everything possible to stop Bush from becoming President. Voting for a 3rd party is a great idea, just not THIS presidential election :-( Vote for who you actually want in local election but for this presidential election I would suggest that you vote for who you can live with as President

As far as voting against a candidate being something new with this election, I asked my mother if she ever voted for a candidate or against a candidate. She stated she always voted for the lesser of two evils--she turns 88 later this month!

In This Presedential Election I Am Leaning Towards Voting For Al Gore...

In this presedential election I am leaning towards voting for Al Gore, for me personally he is the one canidate out of him and mr. Bush that I believe is best qualified to the job as president. Unfortunately I am not voting for Gore because I want him over all the other canidates. You see the problem with everyone else that is running outside the democratic and republican parties is the ELECTORIAL CONGRESS. When we vote it is not a direct vote (unlike all the other time) and because our "founding fahters" did not believe people in such a big country (much smaller than now) could not possibly know the canidates they devised the electorial system to coompensate. What does this mean? It means that members of the electorial college (citizens chosen to do the job) will vote for Gore or Bush (hopefully based on the canidate who has the most vote from us), not any other canidate. Why? because right now our government has not even tried to look at the electorial college and see if, in these time of Internet, tv, CNN etc. whether or not we as US citizens can get to know the canidates and actually count each of our votes and add them up to see who wins. Still confused? Look up the electorial college online in a search and do some research before you vote.

busch, though i think niether one is compatent enough to run the presidential office , at least he promotes life!being against aborsion ... ass for gore i dont like him ...flat out and i just dont know why

I've Always Leaned Towards The Democratic Party For It's Liberalism And Seeming...

I've always leaned towards the Democratic Party for it's liberalism and seeming openness to change. Yet this election year I'm torn. Al Gore seems to be the best candidate in the area of religious rights and freedoms (Bush says he doesn't think witchcraft is a religion and shouldn't be in the military) but Bush seems to have the best plan in the area of military use/action/pay. I'm a witch, married to a US Marine, so my choice is a difficult one. Should I choose more religious freedom, or pay raises and better housing and benefits? True the second choice sounds greedy but with two kids and a house that is falling apart I find myself leaning towards a Republican candidate this time. I do plan to vote if I can get to the polls that day, my husband will be working and we can't really aford the childcare even for a couple hours right now, so we'll see.

If I Were American, Sorry I'm Not And I'm Sticking My Beak...

Oct 26th. at 12:10:18 pm EDT

Jade (Neath, England UK)

Age: 18

If I were American, sorry I'm not and i'm sticking my beak in, I'd vote for Gore. Bush seems to me to be a closed minded individual, unwilling to look beyond the surface of many issues, and spacifically the one about witchcraft not being a religion, because he thinks he's right. I am a Witch. my religion is my RELIGON and if I were American it would be highly insulting to me for him to say that my relgious beliefs are not as valid as, say, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, or even Buddist. Is he so afraid to get up off his tushy and actually research Pagansim and Witchcraft in any ammount of depth, and if he has, and had taken that stance, and I don't see how unless it has been through his own religious beliefs and that has swayed this decision. And if indeed this is the case, he would be imposing his religious beliefs upon society by discradating Witchcraft as the bonafied religion that it is and by denying Witches in the milatary any freedom of religon by denying them the freedom to practice. Just because he doesn't want to believe that it exsists, doesn't mean it doesn't. And I really would like to have a talk with him about that...Thanx for putting up with my groan...Blessed Be!!

I Continue To Be Amazed By The Number Of Pagans Who Don't...

Oct 26th. at 12:23:27 pm EDT

Andraste (New York, New York US)

Age: 35

I continue to be amazed by the number of Pagans who don't think that religious freedom is worth voting for.

How can anyone who is serious enough about their religion to come to this web site even think about voting for Bush? As for voting Green. Do that in local elections where it might do some good rather than harm !

A President can only do so much without the backing of Congress, but what he can do and will do if he's Bush is turn the Supreme Court right wing and pro-Christian.

The rest can change, the rest is subject to public opinion, the state of the economy and the will of Congress.

To anyone who says "Don't worry, it can't happen here" I say, WAKE UP and look at the world around you. Look at the Balkans, I'm sure people there said it could never happen. Look at Israel right now. Look at history, how many times has it happened before? Freedom is something that has to be fought for and guarded carefully.

George W Bush can NOT be trusted. He must NOT be permitted to get into the White House. He must NOT be given the power to take away our freedom. Remember as far as he is concerned we do not have the right to religious freedom because we do not have a real religion !

Having been to all the "Home Pages" of the assorted candidates, I have to say that I am convinced that Gore is the best of a poor lot of candidates.

They all have plans for different issues that I can't agree with on a personally ethical standpoint.

Bush - well, his first strike is his view on Witchcraft. There are other issues, but that's the major one. His mudslinging, his reliance on his "father" as a supposed political positive - I mean really, just because his father was President at one time doesn't mean that HE would make a good President. His reliance on that past history just seems to me to be either a blind distraction (hey...look here, that way you won't see what I'm doing over here) or a sign of major insecurity in his own political background. I certainly don't trust him to appoint new Superior Court judges.

Gore - While I can agree with some of his political views, his "expansion of government" theme while claiming he's planning on reducing costs makes me feel like I'm going to be feeling his Presidency in my pocketbook. I'd be a little more comfortable with him appointing Superior Court judges, but I'm a little worried about his integrity.

Nader (Green) - While on the outside he looks good, and a positive force - some of his ways of dealing with issues are draconian. I'm not comfortable with the thought of being told my responsibility from an outside force, nor with being told what I can say, how I can say it, or how often I can say it. While I may not trust Corporate America to live up to their responsibilities, as a potential business owner, I cannot see that his policies would do anything but bankrupt the country while he takes away our freedoms "for the public good." I feel his intentions are in the right place, but his means are just plain scary. Plus, the fact that he exults in the fact that 40% of those that will vote for him come from the Gore camp, which obviously leans the Presidency toward Bush. He knows he will probably not get the presidency, and the implication that if he can't have it, he wants Bush to have it, frankly scares me on the religious front.

Browne (Libertarian) - Nearly ALL of this man's policies scare the living crap out of me. His conviction that if you deregulate business and society, that we will be better off is frankly too idealistic and optimistic for words. Corporate America has proven time and again that they are not willing to be responsible for their actions unless forced to be - and that they are more than willing to suborn local leaders in order to evade those responsibilities. He is, in essence, the exact opposite of Nader - too permissive.

Buchanan (Reform) - Well, what can I say about him. Should I point out his religious stance? His isolationist xenophobia? His utter conviction that all that is evil about America can be laid strictly at the feet of those people who want "progress and peace"?? He's not worth my time.

Hagelin (Alt. Reform Party/Natural Law Party/Independent) - He's nearly as good of a choice as Gore, but my concern here comes down to, if I vote for him, am I allowing Bush to win over Gore?

Howard Phillips (Constitution Party) - All I can say is that he's a really bad cross between Buchannan and Browne. Again, scary. Pro-gun, Anti-abortion, isolationist. His only positive trait is his views on the IRS/Taxes - and even that one could use work.

So...I'm currently stuck between Hagelin and Gore, but I'm fairly sure that Gore will end up with my vote.

Yes, here we are again having to choose between the lesser of two evils. The lesser of these particular two evil I believe to be Gore, and he will be getting my vote this November.When I first heard of GW Bush, my first thoughts were, "if he becomes president, i'm moving to a different country". I never dreamed that statement would come so close to becoming a real possibility.

Frankly, I'm scared.I am afraid of losing my right to believe what I believe in with out the threat of being burned, I am afraid of losing my right to terminate a pregancy if I so choose, I am afraid of losing my right to prevent pregancy, and i am also afraid of losing my right to fall in love with whomever I do, whether male or female.Someday we might get to vote for a cadidate who stands for what we really believe in, but come November I will be voting to keep the small things that I already have.

I am a pagan teen, and altough this is about people who are voting and I obviously am too young to vote, I would like the world to know that many teens do care about politics; and many of us are pagan. I have been following the elections, and I think it is just sad that things are so senior-citizen oriented. No offense to the elderly generation; you have just as many and maybe more rights to a great life as we do. But there are no candidates that are really taking a major stand on this issue. Clinton promised many things orr education and I don't know about schools around the country; all I know is that my school and every other school I have been to in Florida needs funding desperately. Who will stand for us?

This Election I Am Voting To Protect My Second Ammendment Rights. Once...

Oct 26th. at 4:03:04 pm EDT

john (effort, Pennsylvania US)

Age: 44

This election I am voting to protect my second ammendment rights. Once those are secure, no one can take my fourth ammendment rights away.

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